Uzel batik - a journey into the world of creative improvisation

How much in the world there are different techniques and technologies invented by the peoples of different countries to create amazingly beautiful things designed to blossom the colors of everyday life and the monotony of everyday life.

The decoration of textiles and clothing is one of the most ancient kinds of applied art. And, in every country and every people from the earliest centuries, there were their own specific techniques and techniques for this. In the fear of Southeast Asia, one of the most ancient ways of hand-painting the fabric is the knot batik. Starting from the 7th century AD and up to the present day, Indochina women, India, Pakistan, Malaysia decorate fabrics in this way, having achieved the peaks of craftsmanship. Known batik technique is also known in the countries of South America, Africa, Middle East. In the middle of the last century, European fashion designers discovered this amazing art and began to create very modern and unusual things that subdued the decorative qualities of young people first of all, with its striving for shocking and bright individuality.

Technique of nodal batik is very simple. And most importantly, the result of the work will always be positive, despite the lack of experience and certain skills. In addition, this technique conceals unlimited possibilities for improvisation and a creative puzzle, since the final result of the work is revealed to the creator only after its completion.

Materials for batik and staining technique

1. For the first dyeing experience, it is better to take a white cotton cloth. It can be a cut or sheet, or a white T-shirt, some other already podnadoevshaya thing from the wardrobe of cotton or cotton jersey. Check that the fabric is 100% cotton. This is important, because the synthetic thread can not be stained, which will affect the result of the work. To work also need: cotton thread and a rope of different thickness; Dye for cotton, you can have the same color (then the pattern will be two-color), and you can have several colors to create a multicolor color (sold in hardware stores or in art shops); Enough volume capacity, so that the cloth immersed in it, was placed there freely.

2. After the materials are prepared, you can start tying knots. Uzel batik is based on the fact that various folds are laid on the surface of the fabric, it is twisted with flagella or knots, which are fixed with a thread or rope. Sections of the fabric that are under the thread and in the folds, do not stain, remaining white, or stain partially, exactly as much as the paint will fade. In the traditional knotted batik, there are several basic patterns - the sun (circles that diverge from the center, with longitudinal rays), a cross-shaped star, improvised flowers or marble.

To get the sun, the fabric is grasped, slightly pulled upward and from the beginning of the grip begin to be twisted with a string or rope, making a kind of "sausage". The longer the swirling tissue section, the larger the diameter of the circle. You can tighten tightly stacking the rows of thread or rope to each other, or you can leave between the rows of free areas of different widths, so the resulting pattern will be more interesting.

To obtain a marble pattern, the fabric is gathered in a tangle and wound with a thread or rope in different directions, while the shape of the coil should be preserved.

A stylized flower is obtained when a folded fabric is folded with small folds, and then the corners on the fold are wrapped inside, and the fabric is twisted by a rope horizontally.

Uzel batik is a space for improvisation. Here you can safely experiment, creating different variants of nodes.

3. After twisting the fabric with nodules, it is placed in a diluted dye, diluted with the necessary amount of hot water and heated on the stove to 40 degrees. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes. Then the tissue is pulled out, 2 tablespoons of table salt are added to the water for 5 liters of water, the fabric is again dipped into the dye and boiled for another 30 minutes on a small fire. After that, the plate is turned off, the solution with a cloth is cooled to 60 degrees, the fabric is removed, rinsed well in warm water, strings and threads are removed, the fabric is spread and rinsed again. In the last water for rinsing, add 1 spoonful of vinegar.

To get a multi-colored pattern, the color is produced in stages. First, knots are knotted, the fabric is dyed with the lightest color, then the work is dried, other knots are tied up elsewhere, the fabric is stained again, placing the dye in a darker color. Here it is important to remember that mixing different colors sometimes gives completely unexpected results, so before coloring the fabric, try combining colors of different colors together to see the result.

Uzel batik is an amazing technique. There are many variations of nodules and methods of staining. Try to master it, and you will have infinite possibilities for improvisation.